Morning Headlines 5/18/16

VA edges closer to rollout of new health record platform

The VA reports that the Enterprise Health Management Platform, its Vista web overlay, will be up and running by the end of the summer.

New $1.2b Partners computer system brings prescription for frustration

The Boston Globe highlights employee frustrations with Partners Healthcare’s newly implemented $1.2 billion Epic system.

This health-care trend could make your hospital stay $2,000 more expensive

Edith Ramirez, chair of the FTC, argues that consolidation in the healthcare industry is eliminating needed competition and driving up the cost of care.

Hackers hold DeKalb Health computer systems hostage

A ransom ware attack at DeKalb Health (IN) has forced the hospital to implement downtime operating procedures and divert EMS to other facilities.

Cerner Faces Another Lawsuit Over Its Overtime Policy

Help desk workers at Cerner have filed a class action lawsuit against the company, alleging that they are required to work 48 hours a week but are not paid overtime.

Morning Headlines 5/17/16

Pfizer to Buy Anacor for $4.5 Billion

Pfizer announces that it will buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals for $4.5 billion, a 55 percent premium on Friday’s closing share price.

Giving New Doctors the Tools They Need

In a New York Times op-ed, a Harvard Medical School resident describes medical education as predicated on memorization and insufficient and outdated. He argues, “In an era of big data, Google and iPhones, doctors don’t so much need to know as they need to access, synthesize, and apply.“

Federal survey finds ‘troubling’ online behavior that could impact medical record sharing

A Census Bureau survey of 41,000 households finds that the recent uptick in data breaches across industries has made consumers shy away from online services over privacy concerns.

Exploring Concordance of Patient-Reported Information on PatientsLikeMe and Medical Claims Data at the Patient Level

A study evaluating the accuracy of self-reported medical data shared on PatientsLikeMe compared self-reported multiple sclerosis diagnosis with claims data and finds that the information collected on the site was largely accurate.

Morning Headlines 5/16/16

Rethinking MACRA, a follow up

BIDMC CIO John Halamka revisits his earlier analysis of MACRA.

Google’s NHS deal does not have regulatory approval

The partnership between Google’s artificial intelligence unit, DeepMind, and the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust does not have ethical or regulatory approval from the NHS, according to an investigative report from New Scientist.

Tor Founder: Your Medical Records Are The Next Big Target For Hackers

Speaking at a conference on cybercrime, Paul Syverson, co-creator of the anonymous web browser Tor, predicts that “Medical identity theft is poised to take over as the primary form of identity theft.”

Study assesses performance of direct-to-consumer teledermatology services

A study evaluating the clinical quality of teledermatology services finds significant issues, including incorrect diagnoses, treatment recommendations that contradict guidelines, and prescriptions that were issued without a discussion about possible side effects.

Morning Headlines 5/13/16

GPs told to review patients at risk as IT error miscalculates CV score in thousands

Doctors in England are being asked to reconsider statin prescriptions for thousands of patients after experts discover that the widely-used SystemOne EHR had been miscalculating cardiovascular risk for the last seven years.

An Unintended Side Effect of Transparency

ProPublica notices that drug seekers have been using its Prescriber Checkup tool, a national database containing the prescribing habits of doctors, to find providers most likely to prescribe narcotics.

Fitch Rates Memorial Hospital at Gulfport’s (MS) 2016 Revs ‘BBB’; Downgrs Outstanding

Bond ratings of the city of Gulfport, MS issued on behalf of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport has been downgraded due to a sharp decline in liquidity and an EHR implementation (Cerner) that lead to “an unfavorable increase to accounts receivable.”

Zocdoc Announces New EHR Integration to Improve Access and Interoperability for Health Systems and Patients

Zocdoc announces that it will integrate its patient self-scheduling software with Epic via an API.

Morning Headlines 5/12/16

Theranos Executive Sunny Balwani to Depart Amid Regulatory Probes

Theranos President and COO Sunny Balwani resigns as the SEC continues its investigation into whether the company misled investors about its technology and operations.

Technical Considerations for 2 Additive Manufactured Devices

The FDA publishes draft guidance of 3D printed medical devices.

So many people are dying of drug overdoses that they’re easing the donated organ shortage

In 2015, nearly ten percent of organ donors died of a drug overdose, a 50 percent increase over the last five years.

BSA Health System Selects Epic for its Hospitals and Clinics

BSA Health Systems (TX) chooses Epic to replace 80 software programs currently used across the health system.

Morning Headlines 5/11/16

Clues to Better Health Care From Old Malpractice Lawsuits

Malpractice insurers and medical groups are mining aggregate data from lawsuits that have been closed in the last few years to identify common reasons that doctors are sued and any underlying issues that threaten patient safety.

May 11-12, 2016 Meeting of the UT System Board of Regents

MD Anderson reports a $160 million drop in year-over-year income, blaming “an increase in expenses combined with a decrease in patient revenues as a result of the implementation of the new Epic Electronic Health Record system.”

Missouri Health Systems Select Cerner’s Digital Record

In Missouri, SoutheastHEALTH and Missouri Delta Medical Center both chose Cerner Millennium, replacing Siemens Soarian.

Morning Headlines 5/10/16

NantHealth, Soon-Shiong’s personalized medicine company, files IPO

Healthcare billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD files IPO paperwork ahead of plans to take his healthcare business, NantHealth, public. The company delayed earlier IPO plans, citing adverse market conditions, and continues to operate in the red.

FBI Cyber Division Chief Advises Companies Not to Pay Ransom for Release of Data

Speaking at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at UC Berkeley, FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director James Trainor says that businesses should not pay the ransom if they are the victim of a ransomware attack, and reiterates that while the attacks will continue to be a threat for years, “Ransomware is about backups, more so than anything else.”

A Comprehensive Strategy for Primary Care Payment Reform in Medicare

Farzad Mostashari, MD, Bob Kocher, MD, and Mark McClellan, MD, PhD co-author an opinion piece on the implications the recently announced Comprehensive Primary Care Plus model will have on ACO participation, calling for consideration of a CPC+ACO pilot program.

HHS announces challenge to redesign the medical bill for patients

During the Health Datapalooza conference, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell announces an innovation challenge soliciting designs for medical bills that are easier for patients to understand.

Morning Headlines 5/9/16

American College of Physicians: Sylvia Mathews Burwell

In a speech given at the 2016 ACP Internal Medicine Meeting, HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell assures providers that Meaningful Use complaints are being taken seriously and that the department is “working to address things like burdensome reporting and inflexible requirements.”

Saint Agnes Medical Center victim of data breach

Hackers running a phishing scam steal the W-2s of 2,800 Saint Agnes Medical Center (CA) employees.

Cerner (CERN) Q1 2016 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

During its Q1 earnings call, Cerner President Zane Burke reports that the company has reached an all time win rate against competitors, primarily Epic, driven by software improvements, lower cost of ownership, and open platform capabilities.

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (MDRX) Paul M. Black on Q1 2016 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

During its Q1 earnings call, CEO Paul Black notes that the company is building a precision medicine hub, “bringing together clinical, genomic, and consumer-based information to a centralized database.”

Morning Headlines 5/6/16

A Deep Dive on the MACRA NPRM

BIDMC CIO John Halamka, MD publishes his analysis of the recently released MACRA proposed rule.

Cerner Reports First Quarter 2016 Results

Cerner reports Q1 results: revenue grew 14 percent to $1.14 billion vs. $996 million during the same quarter last year, adjusted EPS $0.53 vs. $0.45, missing revenue projections. Share prices fell four percent in after hours trading.

Allscripts announces first quarter 2016 results

Allscripts reports Q1 results: revenue grew three percent to $346 million but fell short of projections, adjusted EPS $0.13 vs. $0.08.

Ns1ghter Launches Free and Unlimited Doctor Visits

An Austin-based startup launches offering free, unlimited telehealth visits and free second opinion case reviews.

Morning Headlines 5/5/16

Email from insider led to Epic Systems’ $940 million legal win

A disgruntled Tata Consultancy employee working at Kaiser Permanente alerted Epic that the company had been illegally downloading trade secrets through Epic’s UserWeb. The employee had reportedly been passed up for a promotion.

IBM Gives Free Storage to ResearchKit Users

IBM announces that it will host ResearchKit apps on its Watson Health hosting platform for free.

Acting Administrator Slavitt Speech at the American Hospital Association’s Annual Membership Meeting

During the AHA Annual Membership Meeting, CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt called on doctors to engage in the rule writing process while MACRA was in its public comment period.

Medical Errors Are the Third Leading Cause of Death: Study

A BMJ study estimates that medical errors kill 250,000 Americans each year, making it the third leading cause of death in the US.

Morning Headlines 5/4/16

IMS Health and Quintiles to Merge

Quintiles, the parent company of Encore Health Resources, will merge with IMS Health, resulting in a company with $7 billion in annual revenue.

Imprivata Announces First Quarter 2016 Financial Results, Revenue Growth of 23%

Imprivata reports Q1 results: revenue climbed 23 percent to $25.6 million, adjusted EPS –$0.21 vs. $-.24.

How a tiny hospital has imperiled Mass. Medicare funds

Hospitals in Massachusetts face a potential ten percent drop in Medicare funding after consultants hired by the state’s only rural hospital, 19-bed Nantucket Cottage Hospital, miscalculate annual wage costs which are used by Medicare as a baseline for all hospitals in the state.

Morning Headlines 5/3/16

CHIME Letter to FDA on Interoperable Medical Devices

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives submits comments to the FDA calling for assurances that medical devices will be interoperable with EHR software.

Not-for-profits dominate top-10 list of hospitals with biggest surpluses

Seven of the 10 hospitals with the largest surplus from patient care services in 2013 were not-for-profits, according to Health Affairs.

Hospital discharge: It’s one of the most dangerous periods for patients

The Wall Street Journal profiles problems that can arise during transitions of care, with a focus on the hospital to home transition.

Morning Headlines 5/2/16

Medical Information Technology, Inc. Form 10-Q

Meditech reports its Q1 results: revenue grew 4.3 percent to $117 million vs. $113 million during the same quarter last year, EPS $0.51 vs. $0.53.

Athenahealth Jonathan S. Bush on Q1 2016 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

During its earnings call, Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush says that the small-hospital market has experienced a borderline collapse of established technologies, resulting in huge unmet demand that will benefit its expansion into inpatient software.

Revealed: Google AI has access to huge haul of NHS patient data

In the UK, an investigative report finds that Google has been given access to 1.6 million patient records, with visit details going back five years.

Morning Headlines 4/29/16

Medicare’s new plan for paying doctors: 10 key takeaways

The Advisory Board Company recap’s yesterday’s MIPS and APM incentive proposed rule.

Leidos Holdings, Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2016 Results

Leidos reports Q1 results: revenue grew five percent to $1.31 billion vs. $1.25 billion in the same quarter last year, adjusted EPS $0.72 vs. $0.67. Executives announced that

Athenahealth, Inc. Q1 Profit Rises 47%

Athenahealth reports Q1 results: revenue climbed 24 percent to $256 million vs. 206 million in the same quarter last year, EPS $0.34 vs. $0.24, beating expectations on both.

FDA rejects antipyschotic drug/device combo

The FDA has rejected Proteus Digital Health’s request to embed smart sensors designed to track medication compliance into Otsuka’s antipsychotic medication Abilify.

Morning Headlines 4/28/16

Moving Toward Improved Care Through Information

CMS publishes details on how physicians will be paid under MACRA’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System, including new standards for using EHRs in a program called Advancing Care Information.

Christie says New York joins New Jersey drug monitor program

New York and New Jersey officials agree to start sharing information from each state’s prescription drug monitoring program.

Adam Landman, MD, MS, MIS, MHS, Named Chief Information Officer at Brigham and Women’s Health Care

Adam Landman, MD is named CIO of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Landman had been serving as the hospital’s CMIO for Health Information Innovation and Integration.

2016 Data Breach Investigation Report

Verizon publishes its annual report on data breaches, finding that insider misuse, miscellaneous human errors, and lost or stolen property generated for the most beaches in healthcare in 2015.

Morning Headlines 4/27/16

Nokia Just Made Its First Big Move Into Digital Health

Nokia acquires Withings, a digital health company that markets Bluetooth connected scales, blood pressure cuffs, and other medical devices, for $192 million.

Proposed Sanctions – Conditions Not Met Immediate Jeopardy

CMS publishes the letter it sent to Theranos last month in response to the company’s plan to correct problems found at its California lab, noting that the company’s responses “show a lack of understanding of the CLIA requirements.”

Verisk Analytics, Inc., Signs Definitive Agreement to Sell Its Healthcare Services Business to Veritas Capital for $820 Million

Veritas Capital acquires the health service business of Verisk Analytics for $820 million.

Morning Headlines 4/26/16

What We Mean When We Talk About EvGen Part I: Laying the Foundation for a National System for Evidence Generation

In a blog post, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD calls for greater interoperability and connectivity in healthcare IT in order to help researchers create a national system for evidence generation.

Customizing transitional care for N.C. Medicaid patients

Community Care of North Carolina, which coordinates care for 1.4 million Medicaid beneficiaries in the state, has developed an algorithm-based population health program that has significantly reduced hospitalizations and readmissions for patients with multiple chronic medical conditions.

Augmedix nabs $17M to ‘rehumanize’ doctor/patient relations using Google Glass

Google Glass startup Augmedix raises a $17 million investment round from Catholic Health Initiatives, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, TriHealth Inc., and a fifth anonymous investor. Augmedix is building an app that allows scribes to remotely monitor patient encounters, documenting the visit note and navigating the EHR on behalf of the provider.

Medicare’s New Physician Payment System

Health Affairs discusses the new physician payment system put in place with the passage of MACRA.